For companies fundraising, tip for sending around your deck: include a brief blurb about your company in the email (and if others, like board members, are going to be sending the deck around, provide a blurb for them to include / start from). This blurb should include...1/9
...high-level information on your platform / approach / programs; your initial target (if being disclosed), initial clinical indication(s), and how far you are from the clinic or your stage in the clinic; and what series / $ amount you are raising. The purpose of the...2/9
...blurb is to provide an immediate context for the company (technology, stage, financing round) and to encourage people to open your deck – not replace it. Once an investor starts looking at your slides, they are immediately pulled into evaluating “does this look like...3/9
...a fit? How exciting is this? Should I hear the full pitch?” A brief blurb also facilitates someone quickly describing the company to a colleague, adding your company to their CRM, etc. If you want to get more extensive (which has its pros and cons), you can elaborate...4/9
...on data that validates the approach, achievements on the last round, and what you anticipate achieving on the round being raised. Some also add bullets on commercial potential, regulatory status, team, prior round(s) raised and investor syndicate, etc. If you decide...5/9
...to add more detail I’d suggest first starting with a briefer blurb, providing some space, and then adding the extra info in a bulleted format. Be wary of putting in too much info, though. (You want to avoid people skipping the email to come back and read it when they...6/9
...“have more time” – the goal is to have them open the deck immediately.) The psychology behind this also explains why providing a link to your deck (vs sending a PDF) is not quite as optimal. It feels safer, easier, and faster to open an attachment than to click on...7/9
...a link – especially if you then need to add your email address, etc. Yes, opening a link only takes a few seconds longer, but I’ve heard over and over that for some investors it’s an annoyance / impediment. Overall principle is to pique interest / provide context with...8/9
...your intro email, and then have a really well-executed slide set that compels investors to set up a meeting. Then of course the team's expertise, ingenuity, and passion will shine through in the presentation! 9/9
@SaraNayeem Love these threads Sara! Thanks for sharing them. I just now need to find a way to work for you :)
@SaraNayeem thanks for these explanations